Patch Perfect: Selvedge Joins Liberty’s 150-Year Patchwork Celebration
This May marks a moment of pride for the Selvedge team, as we reveal our contribution to The Patchwork Collective - a collaborative installation celebrating 150 years of Liberty. Our patch - stitched by Katerina Knight, Assistant to the Editor at Selvedge - can be spotted at the entrance to the house in the grand entrance of Liberty’s Grade II-listed Tudor building on Great Marlborough Street. Inspired by the cover of Issue 124, Rural, it also graces the cover of Liberty’s limited-edition anniversary newspaper. To see it displayed alongside the work of so many talented makers is both an honour and a joy.
The Selvedge patch in progress for The Patchwork Collective, 150 years of Liberty.
The limited edition Liberty newspaper: Celebrating 150 Years.
As Liberty celebrates a century and a half of art, design, and creative community, they’ve invited makers from around the world to stitch their stories into over 1,000 patchwork squares. These contributions have come from household names to passionate hobbyists, and have been sewn together into a supersized quilted house.
A patchwork square by Pip Godfrey, whose grandfather was The Cook on the Mayflower II (as depicted on Liberty's golden weathervane).
The result is astonishing: a towering tribute to Liberty’s enduring spirit, on display in-store until 24 July 2025. It’s a moment for all the makers involved to treasure - not only for the recognition, but for the connection it fosters with the wider textile community. We at Selvedge are deeply moved to be included in this living artwork.
The Patchwork House at Liberty, featured in the grand entrance of Liberty’s Grade II-listed Tudor building.
Sarah Coonan, Managing Director of Liberty Retail says, “Inspired by our tradition of storytelling through textiles, The Patchwork Collective is a true reflection of Liberty’s heritage in design and craft. Liberty has always been a home for creatives, and this patchwork house is a powerful symbol of that spirit”.
Patchwork square by Sophie Bankes.
The artwork includes contributions from cultural icons and quiet craft champions alike. Nora Nilsson of Projektityyny brings the nostalgia of her Finnish childhood to life with traditional quilting techniques. Sophie Bankes shares her healing journey through breast cancer, wrapped in Liberty silk that brought comfort and strength. A moving piece by Lynda Banks spans three generations, incorporating threads from her late mother, a drawing from her daughter, and her own stitching - an intergenerational testament to Liberty’s power to inspire across time.
Patchwork square by Emma Walker Hankey.
Other standout contributions include Barbour’s up-cycled patch, stitched from well-worn Liberty jackets returned through their re-loved service, and Emma Walker Hankey’s ode to textile legend Althea McNish, crafted with raffia and Liberty Tana Lawn in celebration of Caribbean women’s cultural heritage.
Patchwork square by Oshana and Emily Eavis.
Among the collaborators are designers and artists such as Paul Smith, Story MFG, and Alemais, as well as grassroots collectives like Oshana. The latter partnered with Glastonbury Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis, working with Syrian refugee women to create a patch embodying the word liberty in its truest, freest form.
What emerges is a patchwork of resilience, beauty, heritage, and hope. Each square is a chapter in Liberty’s story, and a reflection of the communities it continues to inspire. We invite you to visit Liberty between now and July and find our patch stitched among a thousand others. A small square with a big heart.
Here’s to 150 years of Liberty - and to the makers who continue to shape its living history, stitch by stitch.
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Further Information:
Read more about the stories behind the patches here:
Hand-stitched Stories from The Patchwork Collective
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: The Selvedge patch for The Patchwork Collective, 150 Years of liberty Celebrations. Created by Katerina Knight.
All other images courtesy of The Patchwork Collective, Liberty.